For me, the HKU MBA stood out against other business schools for a number of reasons. Firstly, Asia was my top location choice, and within Asia, I had always had a personal interest in greater China. Prior to studying for my MBA I spent 4 years learning Chinese at the Chinese consulate in Mumbai, India due to my interest in both the language and the culture. I was therefore extremely excited by the prospect of studying in Hong Kong. Another main reason for my choice was the geopolitical situation at that time which made studying in Asia as the obvious choice for me. Indeed, I did receive offers from other universities, but in the end I chose the HKU MBA programme for its well-respected faculty, especially within finance.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at HKU. I learnt a lot, made lots of good friends and had a great year generally. I especially admired the mentorship programme, which gave me access to the private equity and venture capital world. My mentor was the Vice Chairman of the Hong Kong Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (HKVCA), and he passed on a lot of knowledge to me about how business valuations take place, as well gave me useful advice with regards to navigating the job market. Thanks to his guidance and the support of my network, I am now working as a Finance and Compliance Manager at a venture capital company Angelhub, Hong Kong’s first SFC licensed Equity Crowdfunding platform.

The two things I found most useful about the MBA programme were the curriculum and my cohorts. The courses – such as advanced corporate finance, M&A, and the Capstone Project – gave me the opportunity to improve my financial modelling skills (I have to use these in my current role) and the diverse range of cohorts I met and worked with allowed me to view various industries through many different lenses. The programme also gave me the opportunity to become president of the finance club, where I learnt and improved my leadership skills.

For those who are interested in undertaking the MBA programme I would give the following advice: step out of your comfort zone. Make sure you take the opportunity to work with peers from different countries and cultures to discover different perspectives, and explore life outside of the programme by, for example, volunteering or taking a short course, etc. Be prepared to face challenges when it comes to job hunting and make sure to network as these new connections will aid your search.

Industry: Financial Services
Company: AngelHub
Job Title: Finance and Compliance Manager